This invention relates to apparatus for measuring angular displacement or bending occurring in the apparatus itself or in another object.
The need or desirability of determining the angle of bend of an object is present in a variety of fields including physical therapy, athletic performance measurement, robotics and building structures. In physical therapy where an injured limb or body part is in need of therapy or rehabilitation, it is oftentimes desirable to measure the improvement in the bending range of motion of the limb or part being rehabilitated. At present, this is typically done by strapping the limb or body part into some type of nonportable equipment and then manipulating the equipment to make the measurement. Of course, this requires that the patient travel to the therapist's office or wherever the equipment is located to have the range of motion measurements taken.
In the field of athletic performance measurement, it would be advantageous, at least in some athletic activities, to measure the angular displacement or bending of an athlete's leg, arm, back, etc., while carrying out an activity. The purpose of this might be to determine what angular displacements of the body parts produce the best performance. Presently, such determinations would be made, at least to the extent possible, with video recording of the activity and then later examination of the recording. This approach, however, does not lend itself to precise measurement of angular displacements.
In a variety of other fields, there is a need for simple, inexpensive, convenient and yet accurate bending or angular displacement measurement.